NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer
Education Materials Collection

The Education Vision for the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is that this is the ship upon which learners of all ages embark together on scientific voyages of exploration to poorly-known or unexplored areas of the global ocean. Learners will participate in innovative ways as ocean explorers in breakthrough discoveries leading to increased scientific understanding and enhanced literacy about our ocean world.

To help fulfill this mission, the Okeanos Explorer Education Materials Collection was developed to encourage educators and students to become personally involved with the voyages and discoveries of the Okeanos Explorer— America’s first Federal ship dedicated to ocean exploration. The Education Materials Collection is presented in two volumes: Volume 1: Why Do We Explore? (modern reasons for ocean exploration) and Volume 2: How Do We Explore? (exploration methods and associated technologies). Each Volume begins with a lesson that guides students in broad investigation of the overall topic, followed by background information and lessons orgainzed by key subject areas. Some of the lessons provided have been adapted from lessons previously developed for various NOAA Ocean Explorer expeditions, while others have been created specifically for the Okeanos Explorer education initiative. Whenever possible, hands-on activities are included that involve manipulations other than paper-and-pencil exercises or Web-based research. The reason for doing this is that field science, and exploration in particular, depend heavily upon technology and problem-solving skills needed to create, use, and advance new technology.

Each lesson in the Collection is aligned with the vision of the Framework for K-12 Science Education in preparation for the Next Generation Science Standards, and also with the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts. These correlations do not necessarily mean that a particular lesson fully develops the correlated standards, principles, or concepts. Rather, correlations indicate that an educator may use the information in the lesson as a context or point of departure for addressing those standards.

Lessons also include links to other relevant lesson plans from the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, as well as the Ocean Explorer Web site. Educators who use the Okeanos Explorer Education Materials Collection should regularly check the Okeanos Explorer Education section for the latest information about new education offerings and professional development opportunities.

A particularly dynamic way to keep up with the latest activities aboard America’s Ship for Ocean Exploration is the Okeanos Atlas, which provides a map-based index to information about every expedition.

Welcome aboard!

---

Okeanos Explorer Education Materials Collection

Volume 1: Why Do We Explore?

     Why Do We Explore? Keynote Address (3.6 Mb)

Volume 2: How Do We Explore?

---

Expedition Education Modules

Gulf of Mexico Expedition 2012

Mid-Cayman Rise Expedition 2011

Galápagos Rift Expedition 2011

INDEX 2010: Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud Region

Expedition Education Modules are designed as an education unit to share the excitement of daily at-sea discoveries and the science behind NOAA’s major ocean exploration expeditions. Each module contains an Expedition Purpose, Lessons, Multimedia Discovery Missions, OceanAGE Career Connections, and Other Resources and Links. Click on the expeditions above to visit its corresponding Expedition Education Module.

(top)

---

Careers Connections
Interact with some of the talented explorers who study the ocean world. From underwater pilots to research scientists, these marine mentors will provide students with first-hand knowledge of exciting careers through their live interviews, profiles, and mission logs. Join us for a series of live webchats, interactive video webcasts, and text-based forums with several ocean explorers.

(top)

Current: The Journal of Marine Education
A Special Issue Featuring: A Closer Look at Ocean Careers through the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer: A “Case Study” (pdf, 2.2 Mb)

In this issue of Current, the Journal of Marine Education, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer “comes alive,” capturing the enthusiasm of the ship’s officers, crew, and explorers as they live and work onboard the Nation’s first dedicated ship for ocean exploration. The combination of personnel and instrumentation on a single vessel dedicated to ocean exploration is unique and is presented here as a “case study” for educators and students wishing to know more about the paths traveled by some of the individuals who dedicate their lives to understanding more about our little-known ocean world.

---

Resources and Links
A list of other resources and links related to ocean exploration aboard the Okeanos Explorer, including online presentations by ocean explorers.

---

(top)

---